Automatic lightning-arrester



(No Model.)

G. P. JOHNSON. AUTOMATIC LIGHTNING ARRESTER. N0. 570,40 Patented 001;. 27, 1896.

Z" .4 1; al- L 1' Q .2

221. S W W F d fl TIE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE P. JOHNSON, OF GLOVERSYILLE, NElV YORK.

AUTOMATIC LlGHTNlNG-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,406, dated October 27, 1896.

Application filed January 9,1896,

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. JOHNSON, of the city of Gloversville, county of Fulton, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Lightning- Arresters for Electrical Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements upon that class of devices which are automatically operated to open an electrical circuit upon the coming in upon the latter of an unusual voltage, as from lightning or crossed wires; and the object of my invention is to so construct devices of this kind that after the line has been relieved of an unusual current entering upon its wires the circuit is restored automatically.

Accompanying this specification to form a part of it there is a sheet of drawings containing three figures illustrating my improvement, with the same designation of parts by letter reference used in all of them.

Of the illustrations, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. 'Fig. 2 is a top View, and Fig. 3 is a view of a contact-plate shown as detached.

The several parts of the apparatus thus illustrated are designated by letter reference,

and the function of the parts is described as follows:

The letter B designates the table or base on which the parts are supported; P P posts having set-screws T to connect the circuitwires therewith; M, a magnet; A, an armature hinged at a to the stud a D, an arm connected to the armature by which as the magnet is overexcited by the coming in of unusual current, as the armature is drawn to contact with the magnet, the Outer end of the arm D is raised from off the contact-plate O and the circuit is opened, the position of the arm D as thus raised and the armature drawn down being indicated by a dotted line.

The letters W W designate the circuit-wires. As thus constructed when an unusual cur rent as to intensity enters upon the line the Serial No. 574,796. (No model.)

magnet draws down the arm D from its connection with the armature and thus breaks the circuit.

To have the circuit automatically restored when the effect of the unusual current has passed, I employ a spring S, which at its i11- ner end connects to the base B at Z1 and at its upper end to the arm D, and so soon as the effect of this intense current has passed this spring pulls down the arm D to contact with the plate 0 and the current is again restored. The contact-plate O is made with a central passage 0, by which it can be passed down over the post P In a large office, particularly in telegraphing, where there are a large number of circuits looped, operators are apt to overlook or neglect to close up the circuits after they have been automatically opened, but with my improvement the contingencies of such an occurrence are avoided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with the circuitwires and the magnet, a fixed stud-a an armature A pivoted to the said stud, a lever D attached at one end to the said armature a removable stationary contact-plate O provided with an opening and normally supporting the free end of the said lever, a shouldered post on which the said plate fits and by which it is supported, means for clamping the said plate on the said post and a spring connected to the said lever which normally holds it in contact with said plate and the said armature out of contact with the magnet substantially as set forth.

Signed at Gloversville, New York, this 2d day of September, 1895, and in the presence of the two witnesses whose names are hereto wri ttcn.

, GEORGE P. JOHNSON.

\Vitnesses:

WM. J. WILsON, HORTON D. WRIGHT. 

